UTECH still wants Trelawny

[Don1]

'We haven't given up' - UTech president still hopeful about Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium deal

Published: Friday | November 13, 2009

Kimesha Walters, Gleaner Writer Errol Morrison, president of the University of Technology (UTech), has vowed to continue the institution's quest to obtain the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium despite a denied proposal.


"We have not given up on the stadium, we are gunning for it," declared Morrison, who was speaking at the CAST/UTech Alumni Association Power Breakfast on the UTech campus yesterday.

UTech had made a proposal to utilise the multi-purpose stadium as a western campus, while facilitating its use by other groups.

However, the failure to approve the plan before the start of the current academic year has resulted in some 2,300 students in western Jamaica refused a place at the university, Morrison claims.

No official word
Yesterday, he told The Gleaner that he is yet to receive official word to say the university has been denied, as no further correspondence has been received.

Thus far, there has only been a letter, which was received from the prime minister, dated July 15.

He says he garnered additional information from the interview that was published in The Gleaner, where Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, spoke on the matter.


He explained that UTech had seen the opportunity to offer the project to the Government where it would use the facility to the benefit of the country, the region, sports and education, and he was still waiting hopefully.

"I see a way of hope because they keep saying at this time, so I trust that it is only at rest but not dead, so we're going to continue to work and have dialogue and I'm hoping that they will call us to the table to show us where we could improve the project proposal," said an optimistic Morrison.

Other facilities
Meanwhile, he says UTech has several other facilities in Montego Bay, Muschett Comprehensive High in Trelawny, Rusea's High School and are now looking at St Elizabeth where other facilities could be developed.
Morrison says there are still drawbacks, especially for the cohort that was waiting to enter the university; however, remedial bridging work is now taking place.


The university president said the areas they wanted to take to the stadium with immediate effect include business, nursing, hospitality and tourism and sports.


He says, however, that UTech would not give up on these areas, even with the lack of the new facilities.
"We are working on it at Papine here and we will be offering it in areas of the programme, but until we really have a proper university setting in the west, we will have to restrict it to the east."



UTECH should take over GC Foster...gaining lots of land for expansion, facilities, access to the largest population concentration in Jamaica and a ready made academic base....plus a very viable sports platform

Doesn't address the Western market though....the only drawback

[Don1]

EDITORIAL - Grasping the mettle of athletics

Published: Friday | November 13, 2009

A clutch of initiatives was unveiled this week which ought to deepen confidence that Jamaica is moving beyond talk to concrete action, in leveraging the island's prowess in track-and-field athletics even as the country develops the next generation of potential world beaters.

Two of the developments involve the Mona campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI).

The UWI has formalised its long-standing partnership with Racers - Usain Bolt's track club that is run by his coach, Glen Mills - that is based at Mona. Second, the International Association of Athletics Federations' (IAAF) High Performance Training Centre (HPTC) has relocated to the campus' Mona Bowl from the nearby University of Technology (UTech).

First, we must admit to a certain ambivalence about the IAAF's move, even though we understand and appreciate the action, especially in the context of the Jamaican Government's decision not to transfer the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium to UTech.

Home of the HPTC
Apart from being the home of the HPTC, UTech, as residence of the MVP Track and Field Club, played a pioneering role in encouraging world-class Jamaican athletes to train at home. Asafa Powell, an MVP athlete, led the way by demonstrating that he could be world class and break records although based in Kingston. If UTech had got the Trelawny stadium as the centre of its proposed western campus, around which it could expand its athletics programme, perhaps the IAAF would have come to a different decision.

Nonetheless, given the development of the two institutions and the relative resources they have, UWI (Mona) is clearly a good fit for the HPTC and the formalised arrangement with Racers should enhance value to both institutions.

Clearly, the UWI is the premier tertiary institution in the Commonwealth, with records of excellence in teaching and research. Importantly, too, the UWI's medical sciences faculty, with its expertise in orthopaedics and biomechanics as well as research facilities in nutrition, is located at Mona.

The expansion of the campus' electronics engineering capabilities is also relevant. If all these things can be brought together with the planned upgrading of the athletic fields at Mona, allied with the famous names of the track and coaching staff that are available in Jamaica, the possibility of Jamaica extracting real value from the initiative is apparent.

See the possibilities
Hopefully, these developments and the ability of Mona's principal, Prof Gordon Shirley, to see the possibilities, will not fundamentally undermine UTech's programme. We hope that MVP, with its stable of famous athletes, stays put. In that regard, we urge the Government to reconsider its decision on the Trelawny stadium.

There was another notable development in athletics this week which, in some respects, is just as important at the Mona issue, and definitely more emotionally potent: the launch of the Asafa Powell Foundation. Whatever may have been the criticisms of Mr Powell, we have felt him to be an innately decent human being. He reinforced that conviction with the launch of the foundation that is aimed at providing financial and other support to young and aspiring athletes.

Our wish is that this foundation be so structured and managed that it does not, unlike too many such things in Jamaica, quickly falter and collapse. For this is not only a legacy to Asafa Powell, but a statement about decency and ourselves as a people.

[Karl]

Continuation of the attempt to 'take over' GC Foster College. The first big push was beaten away.

I hope it is still ignored.

...we can use both Utech and GC Foster as separate entities. Utech should continue its push for a Western campus. Westmoreland, Hanover and Trelawny should, through there respective Parish push to win Utech's bid for such a campus.

Frankly I would love to see the campus somewhere along the seacoast of one of these parishes.

Besides the need as education resource, would be economic boon for one of these parishes.

[MdmeX]

So UTECH can't find any other place in Western Jamaica than the Trelawny multi purpose stadium?

[Don1]

Continuation of the attempt to 'take over' GC Foster College. The first big push was beaten away.

I hope it is still ignored.

...we can use both Utech and GC Foster as separate entities. Utech should continue its push for a Western campus. Westmoreland, Hanover and Trelawny should, through there respective Parish push to win Utech's bid for such a campus.

Frankly I would love to see the campus somewhere along the seacoast of one of these parishes.

Besides the need as education resource, would be economic boon for one of these parishes.

Disagree...together UTECH and GC Foster are both stronger..... the sum of the parts are worth less than the whole....but egos and petty fiefdoms as usual will get in the way.

UTECH would bring a visionary management, competence, credibility and academic support to GC Foster.

GC Foster would allow massive physical expansion of UTECH with ready access to the Caribbean's largest pool of tertiary level professionals... ie in the Portmore zone...and could help to ameliorate the war zones in De La Vega City, Spain Town, Gregory Park, Sufferahs Heights etc

A potentially very good marriage which, well planned, could spark a development corridor in that area...based on computer science, software & engineering skill sets and entrepreneurship (thru UTECH's tech incubator program) and their science & engineering faculties.

That would be a visionary initiative aimed at education reform and relevance.

This union could be a real force multiplier....the sports development would be a nice bonus.


But not enough people have vision...apparently.

Sad.

[MdmeX]

Mek whole heap a sense Don1.

As it is right now, I don't even think GCF living up to its potential.

[Karl]

Disagree...together UTECH and GC Foster are both stronger..... the sum of the parts are worth less than the whole....but egos and petty fiefdoms as usual will get in the way.

UTECH would bring a visionary management, competence, credibility and academic support to GC Foster.

GC Foster would allow massive physical expansion of UTECH with ready access to the Caribbean's largest pool of tertiary level professionals... ie in the Portmore zone...and could help to ameliorate the war zones in De La Vega City, Spain Town, Gregory Park, Sufferahs Heights etc

A potentially very good marriage which, well planned, could spark a development corridor in that area...based on computer science, software & engineering skill sets and entrepreneurship (thru UTECH's tech incubator program) and their science & engineering faculties.

That would be a visionary initiative aimed at education reform and relevance.

This union could be a real force multiplier....the sports development would be a nice bonus.


But not enough people have vision...apparently.

Sad.

Seems to me you are saying Utech is necessary GC Foster is not!
I am saying there is space and place for both!

btw - Why not Utech absorbed by UWI? ...would not UWI bring more to the table in a manner similar to the Utech/GC Foster merger you are proposing? ...and while we are about it, why not bring all the Teachers Colleges under the same/a similar type larger entity's umbrella? No place for those teachers colleges?

[Don1]

[QUOTE]

Seems to me you are saying Utech is necessary GC Foster is not! I am saying there is space and place for both!

You are wrong...I'm not saying that.

GC Foster would be STRONGER as a college campus of UTECH...that's what I'm saying. GC Foster is under-resourced academically and from a leadership standpoint.
UTECH is a VERY successful and relevant model which Jamaica desperately needs to proliferate (moreso than the UWI model) in order to be successful as a country.... technical/scientific education....it's absolutely critical....ask Jawge bout di Info Age..lol!!

Both institutions would still exist....but in partnership...with both stronger. In other countries this is done routinely....and can work extremely well.

Companies do this as well ...to take advantage of synergies.

We need to be creative in our thinking to progress...the old model is dead.

btw - Why not Utech absorbed by UWI? ...would not UWI bring more to the table in a manner similar to the Utech/GC Foster merger you are proposing? ...and while we are about it, why not bring all the Teachers Colleges under the same/a similar type larger entity's umbrella? No place for those teachers colleges?

I won't address this other than to say the proposition is either ridiculous or sublime...people can choose which fits.

[Karl]

[quote=Don1;198596]

You are wrong...I'm not saying that.

GC Foster would be STRONGER as a college campus of UTECH...that's what I'm saying. GC Foster is under-resourced academically and from a leadership standpoint.

UTECH is a very successful and relevant model which Jamaica desperately needs to proliferate (moreso than the UWI model) in order to be successful as a country.... technical/scientific education....it's absolutely critical....ask Jawge bout di Info Age..lol!!

Both institutions would still exist....but in partnership...with both stronger. In other countries this is done routinely....and can work extremely well.

Companies do this as well ...to take advantage of synergies.

We need to be creative in our thinking to progress...the old model is dead.

UTech successful?
OK!

...but at what? ...and to what degree?

...and as there is the unspoken question arising from your above - Is GC Foster not successful?

Your last line is bang on!

I won't address this other than to say the proposition is either ridiculous or sublime...people can choose which fits.

It follows on naturally to what you are proposing. As to whether or not the readers...the country...you...me...have what we think are the obvious answers is not too important in the context of, and only in that context of your reasoning on why GC Foster should be absorbed by UTech and not/as opposed to any of the alternatives on a GC Foster and a Utech standing alone.

What are the possibilites for each entity? ...and in light of our tremendous human resources, what could that continued separation do for our people?

[Karl]

Gleaner EDITORIAL: Reconsider Trelawny stadium decision

Reconsider Trelawny stadium decision

Published: Sunday | November 15, 2009


Professor Errol Morrison ought not to, as he says he will, rest his case. If anything, he should be recruiting other champions to maintain the fight.


We understand the difficulty of maintaining such a struggle, especially when the matter is so apparently clear-cut and straightforward. But the president of the University of Technology (UTech) has been around long enough, has achieved enough, and is sufficiently accomplished to be aware that governments, sadly, are often not logical in their calculations.

This is another case in point - the Golding administration's rejection last week of the UTech's request that the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium be transferred to it.

The Trelawny facility, a sprawling bit of real estate, was built with a US$30-million loan from Beijing and mostly Chinese labour for the 2007 Cricket World Cup, of which Jamaica was one of the Caribbean hosts.

Trelawny hosted the opening ceremony and a few warm-up matches. Since then, a handful of international soccer matches and other sports have been played at the stadium, but it remains a mostly underutilised facility in danger of becoming run-down. The expectation that it would be in demand by professional sports teams, mainly from the United States, for out-of-season training, has not materialised.

Perhaps it is that we have not been good at marketing the facility, although we doubt that it is the major issue. It faces competition and the Trelawny complex does not have the range of facilities that these teams demand. In the meantime, especially with a severe economic crunch, the Government is finding it difficult to pay for the stadium's upkeep.

sporting capabilities

It is against that backdrop that the UTech proposed that the Trelawny complex could become the core of its planned western campus without removing the facility's sporting capabilities. Rather, these would be enhanced.

For the UTech's St Andrew campus is the home of the MPV Track and Field Club, of which several of Jamaican champion athletes are members under the guidance of one of the world's best coaches, Stephen Francis. Moreover, the UTech also used to host the IAAF's regional High Performance Training Centre, to which a number of international athletes came for training stints.

The stadium would have enhanced the UTech's ability to leverage these connections. We suspect that the Government's dithering over the UTech's application contributed to the IAAF's decision to transfer its centre from the UTech to the older, and more developed, Mona campus of the University of the West Indies.

hopes

The Youth and Sports Minister, Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, has not given, at least not publicly, a clear reason for rejecting the UTech's proposal, although she did leave the door ajar, saying it had not been approved in its current form. What is not clear is what next the Government would expect from the UTech.

Ms Grange, however, seems to harbour old hopes of enticing professional sporting teams and maintains what, up to now, remains an ephemeral notion of its use in "sports tourism". She is conducting, she says, some kind of feasibility study on the facility.

What we are yet to appreciate is how the UTech's ideas and Ms Grange's notional plans are mutually exclusive. The university said it would do much of what Ms Grange would like to do. But more, it would also use the facility to offer university education to young Jamaicans. Now, what would you prefer?

The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner. To respond to a Gleaner editorial, email us: editor@gleanerjm.com or fax: 922-6223. Responses should be no longer than 400 words. Not all responses will be published.

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/glean...cleisure1.html

[Karl]

Reconsider Trelawny stadium decision

Published: Sunday | November 15, 2009


Professor Errol Morrison ought not to, as he says he will, rest his case. If anything, he should be recruiting other champions to maintain the fight.


We understand the difficulty of maintaining such a struggle, especially when the matter is so apparently clear-cut and straightforward. But the president of the University of Technology (UTech) has been around long enough, has achieved enough, and is sufficiently accomplished to be aware that governments, sadly, are often not logical in their calculations.

This is another case in point - the Golding administration's rejection last week of the UTech's request that the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium be transferred to it.

The Trelawny facility, a sprawling bit of real estate, was built with a US$30-million loan from Beijing and mostly Chinese labour for the 2007 Cricket World Cup, of which Jamaica was one of the Caribbean hosts.

Trelawny hosted the opening ceremony and a few warm-up matches. Since then, a handful of international soccer matches and other sports have been played at the stadium, but it remains a mostly underutilised facility in danger of becoming run-down. The expectation that it would be in demand by professional sports teams, mainly from the United States, for out-of-season training, has not materialised.

Perhaps it is that we have not been good at marketing the facility, although we doubt that it is the major issue. It faces competition and the Trelawny complex does not have the range of facilities that these teams demand. In the meantime, especially with a severe economic crunch, the Government is finding it difficult to pay for the stadium's upkeep.

sporting capabilities

It is against that backdrop that the UTech proposed that the Trelawny complex could become the core of its planned western campus without removing the facility's sporting capabilities. Rather, these would be enhanced.

For the UTech's St Andrew campus is the home of the MPV Track and Field Club, of which several of Jamaican champion athletes are members under the guidance of one of the world's best coaches, Stephen Francis. Moreover, the UTech also used to host the IAAF's regional High Performance Training Centre, to which a number of international athletes came for training stints.

The stadium would have enhanced the UTech's ability to leverage these connections. We suspect that the Government's dithering over the UTech's application contributed to the IAAF's decision to transfer its centre from the UTech to the older, and more developed, Mona campus of the University of the West Indies.

hopes

The Youth and Sports Minister, Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, has not given, at least not publicly, a clear reason for rejecting the UTech's proposal, although she did leave the door ajar, saying it had not been approved in its current form. What is not clear is what next the Government would expect from the UTech.

Ms Grange, however, seems to harbour old hopes of enticing professional sporting teams and maintains what, up to now, remains an ephemeral notion of its use in "sports tourism". She is conducting, she says, some kind of feasibility study on the facility.

What we are yet to appreciate is how the UTech's ideas and Ms Grange's notional plans are mutually exclusive. The university said it would do much of what Ms Grange would like to do. But more, it would also use the facility to offer university education to young Jamaicans. Now, what would you prefer?

The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner. To respond to a Gleaner editorial, email us: editor@gleanerjm.com or fax: 922-6223. Responses should be no longer than 400 words. Not all responses will be published.

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/glean...cleisure1.html

Wouldn't this be a better way for Utech to go? ...would this be not better for JA than the grabbing at GC Foster?

btw - I wonder what is preventing UTech from considering and attempting to place it's Western campus either in Trelawny or say,
St. James/Hanover (one of the huge properties falling between Montpelier (St James) and Knockalva (Hanover) or betwen Reading (St James) and Hopewell (Hanover)...or on the outskirts of Lucea (Hanover) or somewhere between Lucea and Green Island (Hanover) if the government sticks to it guns on not handing over the Trelawny stadium?

[Don1]

Wouldn't this be a better way for Utech to go? ...would this be not better for JA than the grabbing at GC Foster?

btw - I wonder what is preventing UTech from considering and attempting to place it's Western campus either in Trelawny or say,
St. James/Hanover (one of the huge properties falling between Montpelier (St James) and Knockalva (Hanover) or betwen Reading (St James) and Hopewell (Hanover)...or on the outskirts of Lucea (Hanover) or somewhere between Lucea and Green Island (Hanover) if the government sticks to it guns on not handing over the Trelawny stadium?

While I wholeheartedly support the idea of a western UTECH campus I don't see the rationale of basing a campus around a stadium.

A university is primarily geared towards academics...not sports.

UTECH just needs some open land for a greenfield development or take over some academic institution with the required space...I don't see why the preoccupation with Trelawny.

Also with respect to GC Foster... a western campus is not mutually exclusive...I would love to see UTECH do both a western campus and GC Foster type eastern expansion.

The UTECH education model is key....moreso than the UWI model.

[Willi]

Utech does too many fluff programs though.

I wish they would focus on hard core engineering like Caltech, IIT, Imperial College and MIT.

[Jawge]

Well said; Don1 and Willi.

[Don1]

Utech does too many fluff programs though.

I wish they would focus on hard core engineering like Caltech, IIT, Imperial College and MIT.

What at UTECH is fluff?? what program or faculty?

In an optimal world we could support speciality engineering colleges....our world is far from optimal..... we are in a make do world.